Man United could repeat McTominay fumble with “exceptional player”

Manchester United are fully focused on improving upon their poor domestic campaign last season in the Premier League.

The Red Devils, led by Ruben Amorim, finished 15th in the top flight, failing to qualify for European football after losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.

Although supporters weren’t happy with how their season ended, the club have taken it as an opportunity to focus completely on rebuilding the squad and re-establishing themselves in the Premier League.

United are currently sixth in the table after 15 games with seven wins, four draws and four losses. Progress is definitely taking shape, and their summer signings have played a key role in that.

Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko were brought in to freshen up the attacking threat after the club offloaded Rasmus Hojlund, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Antony.

There have been significant improvements in their attacking threat, but it has been widely reported that the next reconstruction is set to be in the centre of the pitch.

Reports have suggested that Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte could all be moved on next summer in a plan to invest heavily in the future of the midfield, with Elliott Anderson and Carlos Baleba lined up to replace them.

However, the midfield overhaul could begin as early as January, with speculation mounting around Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Old Trafford.

The Daily Mail has reported that 12 clubs are interested in signing the talented England international, including Serie A giants Napoli, where ex-Man United star Scott McTominay has famously transformed his career.

This interest has been followed up by a statement from journalist Luca Marchetti revealing (via Area Napoli):

“We can already talk about progress with Mainoo, because the player would have no problem accepting.”

“But to conclude a deal, Manchester United must agree terms, and space must be created—both financially and technically—to bring the boy in as soon as possible.

“For this reason, rumours suggest Lorenzo Lucca could depart in January to make room for new arrivals.”

There is no doubt that Mainoo has found it difficult to get game time under Amorim, so it will come as no surprise to Man United fans that he is potentially looking for a way out in January.

Mainoo played a key role in England’s Euro 2024 campaign, starting in the final against Spain, and will be keen to capture the attention of new manager Thomas Tuchel before he picks the World Cup 2026 squad.

Over 11 appearances this season, the 20-year-old star – once hailed an “exceptional player” by former teammate Christian Eriksen – has registered one assist, averaging just 25 minutes per game.

His lack of game time and trust from the manager has sparked debate, and even club legend Paul Scholes has weighed in on the situation, telling Mainoo to leave the club.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Scholes said:

“You would have to advise him to go. If he rang me and said ‘I think Chelsea are in for me, what do you think’, I’d say ‘all day long.’

“No one [in the hierarchy] gets the club. You think of the treatment of Kobbie Mainoo. He’s not playing; fair enough, sometimes as a manager you don’t fancy a player.

“When they aren’t playing well and what he has done in the game already as a young kid – winning goal in the FA Cup final, he’s played nearly every game at the Euros.”

United have a recent history of letting players go, either on loan or permanently, only for them to excel elsewhere, and Mainoo could be the latest to bene, from a change of scenery in the remaining six months of the season.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see where Mainoo’s future lies beyond the January transfer window and whether he can find a move that will kick-start his career again, like McTominay.

Rebekka Arnold is an experienced writer with a strong background in digital media, PR and football journalism.

Since 2021, Rebekka has written opinion pieces and match reaction content for Football Fancast, part of the Snack Media network, building on her growing presence in the football community through viral Twitter content and podcasting.

Now at Transfer Tavern, Rebekka brings her sharp eye for analysis and deep passion for the game to deliver engaging football opinion and breaking transfer news content.